1973 Map of Hastings Pass NE

About this map

Skull Valley and its surrounding desert topography are the focus of this 1970s orthophotomap, which uses aerial photography from 1972 to reveal the stark texture of the eastern Great Basin. This specific visualization highlights the expansive Mud Flat regions that dominate the basin floor, providing a clear view of the natural drainage patterns and alkaline surfaces that characterize this part of Tooele County. Unlike traditional line-drawn maps, this format emphasizes the physical relationship between the flat valley floor and the rising terrain to the west. Evidence of human infrastructure is sparse in this environment, limited primarily to a Telephone line that cuts north-south through the valley, following the natural contour of the land. The map serves as a precise record of the desert's physical state just before the mid-1970s.